AVE MARIA, Fla.- The Ave Maria University women's tennis team picked up a crucial Sun Conference win on Sunday, defeating the Mariners of the College of Coastal Georgia, 4-0, at the AMU Tennis Complex. The win was AMU's second in Sun Conference play, and marked Ave Maria's first win of the season against a nationally recognized opponent - Coastal Georgia entered the match receiving votes in the newest NAIA Coaches' Poll, as did Ave Maria.
AMU got off to a good start against the Mariners, claiming the doubles point with wins at the first and second flights. Ave Maria's top team of Vitoria Barandas and Clara Penido rolled to a 6-2 win, while the second team of Elizabeth Pince and Nicolle Koop picked up a 6-4 win. The Gyrenes had a lead in the lone unfinished doubles match, as Abigail Rich and Regina Ruiz were a point away from a win, leading 5-4 in the third doubles flight.
The Gyrenes wasted little time in taking the match, with three singles victories coming in straight sets. In a battle of nationally ranked players, Vitoria Barandas was dominant over Ana Gonzalez, with the 45th ranked player defeating the 65th ranked player, 6-2, 6-2. The win was Barandas' fifth straight in singles play, a streak that she and Penido are also on in doubles. At the fourth singles flight, Regina Ruiz was a 6-3, 6-1 winner over Chloe Do Lago, while Abigail Rich picked up a singles win at the sixth flight, 6-2, 6-3 over Sofia Gonzalez.
Ave Maria players also won at least one set in each of the three unfinished matches. Clara Penido was in a third set of her match at the second flight, while Lauren Berns had won the first set of her match at the third flight. Nicolle Koop had done the same in her match at the fifth flight, where she held a 6-4, 3-3 edge when Ave Maria's victory was secured.
Ave Maria will break for the Easter holiday, with eight days between the Coastal Georgia match and the next contest. That matchup - AMU's last road affair of the regular season - will see the Gyrenes battle the Sailfish of Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach on April 2. It will be a rematch of a battle in Ave Maria earlier in the season, when the Gyrenes dropped a 4-3 decision to the Sailfish on February 20.
